polemic
6 synonyms for polemic, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A polemic is a strongly worded piece of writing or speech that argues forcefully against a particular idea, person or practice.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
A polemic is a strongly worded piece of writing or speech that argues forcefully against a particular idea, person or practice.
“The pamphlet was a blistering polemic against censorship.”
2. adjective
Polemic describes writing or speech that has the forceful, one-sided character of an attack rather than a balanced argument.
“Reviewers found the article's polemic tone off-putting.”
How to use polemic
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
A formal word, most at home in writing about politics, religion or ideas.
Etymology
The word came into English from the French polémique, which goes back to the Ancient Greek polemikos, meaning of war, itself from polemos, meaning war.
Full origin of polemic →